South African Oxtail stew can (and should) be the food of kings. Slow-cooked in a dutch oven for 6 hours until it falls off the bone with a rich gravy that just waits to be soaked up by a thick slice of buttered bread! Peasants and kings enjoy it!
Oxtail used to be an ingredient that was frowned upon being the tail of the ox. But when I grew up in South Africa it was and still is a famous dish that is loved by most people. You will find a South African oxtail stew recipe together with a fetcook/vetkoek recipe in almost every household these days.
It is also one of those rare dishes that bring people together. Normally it is made outdoors in a 3 legged cast iron pot on fire (I will still do that recipe in the near future). But for this version, I chose to make it in a Dutch oven on the stove.
One of the biggest secrets for a delicious oxtail is heat control. The pot should be on the LOWEST heat possible. When you place your ear next to your pot you should hear it bubbling gently away. And every now and then you should witness a puff of steam escape that infuses the kitchen with an aroma that drives the family wild with hunger:).
One of the mistakes a lot of people make is to add too much water/liquid in their pot. Don’t do it! If you cook the pot on low heat one cup of beef stock with the tomatoes will be sufficient.
Basic Ingredients
The ingredients are basic. But what adds a nice caramelized flavor is the brown sugar that you add when browning your meat.
Give this oxtail potjie / stew a go. It is a special dish, and goes really well in winter or summer.
PS: Don’t be afraid to eat the oxtail with your hands! It is the only way to get the good meat of the bone. And if you enjoy stews that are slow-cooked try out my easy chicken stew.
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South African Oxtail Stew
- Total Time: 6:30 hours
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A hearty oxtail stew that will warm the cockles of your heart! Slow-cooked for 6 hours with meat that falls from the bone and a rich gravy that will become a sure favorite of the family.
Ingredients
- 1 kg of Oxtail( Choose a packet that does not have too much fat around the meat)
- 2 Big onions roughly chopped
- 2 Tomatoes cut into quarters( or 2 tablespoons tomato paste)
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
- 2–3 medium carrots cut into chunks
- 350 ml of beef stock
- Coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon fine black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried Origanum
- 3 cloves of garlic roughly diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 clove
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Heat dutch oven on medium-high heat. Season the meat with sugar, salt, and pepper then add some oil and brown the meat in batches. ( Make sure the meat is nicely browned for lots of flavor.)
- Then take the meat out and add the onions and garlic and bay leaves. Gently fry them for 5 minutes or so until they are nice and fragrant.
- Deglaze with the beef stock. Add the browned meat back on top of the onions. Add the tomatoes, origanum, Nutmeg, and the clove. And then put on the lid.
- Turn your heat source to its lowest setting and leave for 3 hours. ( You should just see a little puff of steam escaping every now and then. Also if you listen to it it should gently bubble away) You can open the pot after 2 hours just to make sure there is enough liquid inside. If it looks a bit dry add a little bit of water.
- After 3 hours add the potatoes and the carrots. If there is not enough liquid add a little bit of water. Give the pot one good mix and put on the lid again. Leave for another 3 hours on the lowest setting.
- After the 3 hours take the pot off the heat source and let cool for 10 minutes or so. The fat will rise to the top. You can skim most of it off with paper towels if you want to. Give the pot one more good stir and serve with rice or chunky ciabatta bread!
Notes
- The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use or recommend.
- This dish works best with a heavy-based cast iron pot. It retains heat better during the slow cook process.
- Listen to your pot. Put your ear next to it and you should hear it bubbling gently away and see a puff of steam escape every now and then. Heat control is key.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Stew Potjie
- Method: Slow cook
- Cuisine: South African
Keywords: Stew
I made this a while ago and am making it again this weekend, because it was soo damn good! I can really say that this recipe is a treasure! Thank you for sharing this with us.
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Hi Ansunette, I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe so much. Hearing that people love the recipe makes it all worth it for me. Happy cooking😃
My family, who has a history on both my Parents’ sides – with their own best oxtail recipes- AGREED that yours ia the best… boom!
Hi Eben. I am happy the recipe made such a good impression. And that it did not cause a family rift:)
Hi there
Can this oxtail be made in advance. I am hosting a Birthday party for a friend and would like to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible on the day.
Thanks Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Yes, this recipe will work great making it in advance. But please keep in mind the following tips when doing it.
1) Remember to remove all the food from the cast iron pot before putting it in the fridge(If you keep the food in the pot an iron taste will
leach into the food)
2) Don’t freeze the stew. The potatoes will make the stew grainy on the day you defrost it.
3) Make the dish a day or two before your party and store it in the fridge covering it tightly with a lid. (Don’t make it longer than 2
days before)
4) On the day of the party add the food back to your cast iron pot and reheat it on low heat until it is heated through. Start at least one
hour before the meal as it might take longer to heat up than you would expect. The cast iron will keep the food hot for quite a while
once it is heated through. The cast-iron pot is also a nice centerpiece for a party and most people will enjoy dishing up from it.
I hope this helps. Enjoy the party and please let me know how the meal went with your guests.
Kind Regards.
Albert.
lekker!
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Glad to hear you liked it Richard!
I spent about 3 hours on the internet looking for a decent recipe to replicate the oxtail potjie I remover having as a kid back in SA. My husband bought me a slow cooker for Christmas and I knew that this was the first thing I was cooking in there! That’s so much for the detailed steps! And sharing your recipe! It was amazing, the only change I made was added one “wine stock” pot to it!
Really was amazing and will be printing this out to keep in my home recipe book 👌🏻
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Hi Bianca, I am so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! I think Oxtail has a special place in every South African’s heart. Enjoy the slow cooker. And thank you for taking the time to post a review.
Extremely tasty recipe! Takes a bit long to prepare but absolutely worth the wait! Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you Peter! I am glad you enjoyed it and that it was worth the wait. Slow food at its best.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. Even my mother in law commented on how delicious it turned out 😜
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You are welcome Terence. I am happy to hear it passed the mother in law test!😂 Thanks for taking the time to write a comment. I really do appreciate it. Happy cooking👍
Absoluteley the food of kings!! One of the best meals I have ever cooked. Thanks Albert
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Delicious recipe
I added some chili fory personal taste and the result was awesome
I am happy you enjoyed it, Cyprian. Yes, the beauty of savory cooking is that you can experiment with different flavors. As long as you have the basics right about the amount of liquid and slow cooking you can’t go wrong.
Thank you for making this South African favourite doable for ‘non-cooks’!! We love your website!!
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Sjoeee Albert, what a wonderfull time we had around this Pot! The meat is out of this world…slow cooking is doing the trick! Thanx for sharing this recipe, and the video was very helpfull AND the tip about not using a lot of liquid!
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